Publication details
Rise of Donald Trump: media as a voter-decision accelerator
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2016 |
| Type | Chapter of a book |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The media are key in shaping public opinion during campaigns and can help voters with their decision making. If there were any doubts about the role of the media and their ability to compete with the Internet, those doubts were smacked down by this year’s election. The first of three televised presidential debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump was watched by 84 million Americans – and this does not include those who viewed it on the Internet and abroad. It was not just the debates which had an influence on public opinion. There were also subsequent media and Internet commentaries and analyses which emerged after each of the three debates. How the media represent each of the candidates has the ability to affect people’s voting decisions and thus the election results. |